Habitual Riser
by Zelgadis55
Summary: Chibi turtle fic for TMNTContests March challenge – Habit. It is fairly much agreed across the fandom that Leonardo is the earliest riser in his family, often even beating Splinter himself but what if this was not always the case? What if, however, the family's sleeping and waking habits became shaped by Mikey's own? Family fluff. Please R&R, concrit is always welcome. :-)


Beta: imjustpeachee

Rating: G

Disclaimer: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and all related characters belong to Nickelodeon.

Summary: Chibi turtle fic for TMNTContests March challenge – Habit on Deviant Art.

A/N: It is fairly much agreed across the fandom that Leonardo is the earliest riser in his family, often even beating Splinter himself but what if this was not _always_ the case? In my headcanon, Michelangelo is probably the second of the four brothers to wake most days, unless he has had a gaming or monster movie marathon the night before. Raph is just a pain to get to wake up, though he is instantly alert if actual danger is present. Donnie however, just has bad sleeping habits, staying up late and working half the night if not even longer.

What if, however, the family's sleeping and waking habits became shaped by Mikey's own? That is how this little tale came to be.

While writing this story, I leant a little more to 2k12 setting but honestly, I could see something similar happening in 2k3 as well. Set a few months after the turtles get separate bedrooms.

* * *

**Habitual Riser**

Most of the family agree that when younger, Mikey's worst habit was easily that he was an early riser. Long before the nunchaku wielding turtle's infamous all night monster movie marathons and gaming nights, Michelangelo was always the first in the lair to greet the day. With his energetic, bright and sunny outlook on life, it only made sense for him to awaken first. Back then, he always woke before even Master Splinter and Master Splinter very quickly learnt to wake up the moment his little sentient alarm clock would slide open the door to his room. It was simply self preservation!

\- . - . -

Splinter smiles warmly, coming to instant alertness; his sensitive hearing picking up on excited breathing and smothered giggles as his bedroom door gently glides open. He keeps his eyes closed and his breathing even, pretending to still be asleep and listens to the pattering of tiny footsteps as they half race, half sneak toward him. There is a slight pause and Splinter prepares himself. At just the right moment, he sits up, suddenly plucking the little leaping turtle out of mid-air and firmly ensconcing him into his arms, pulling him down into a loving hug. "Got you, Michelangelo," he smiles affectionately.

Michelangelo's previously half smothered giggles become full out laughter as he nuzzles into his father, tickled by the giant rat's soft fur. When his laughter dies down as Michelangelo finally settles, father and son simply lay there, Michelangelo wrapped tenderly within his father's arms and they enjoy the early morning peace together for a short while.

As the first sign of twitchiness on his hyperactive son's part begins, Splinter speaks up, "Come, my son. It is time to face the day. Are you hungry?"

Michelangelo nods eagerly, "Starving, Master Splinter!"

Splinter chuckles slightly, standing and gently placing Michelangelo back down on his feet. "Then let us go prepare breakfast. Your brothers too will be hungry when they wake."

Michelangelo slips his hand into Splinter's paw, needing to reach up to do so and trots eagerly alongside the mutant rat to the kitchen where they begin to prepare breakfast; Michelangelo helping with whichever tasks he is allowed to assist with. While he helps though, he cannot help but stare longingly in the direction of his brothers' bedrooms.

When most of the preparations are complete, Splinter takes pity on his irrepressible son, "Would you like to go wake your brothers for breakfast now, Michelangelo?"

Michelangelo barely manages to utter "Hai Sensei!" before he is off and running, tearing gleefully through the lair to where his unwary, sleeping brothers lay.

\- . - . -

Leonardo is always the mischievous tot's first victim, without exception. This is because he is the lightest sleeper out of his brothers and if Mikey saved Leo for later, he would already be awake; woken by their other brothers' voices and Mikey would have missed out on much fun. Michelangelo quickly turned trying to sneak up on his goody two foot brother before he could wake on his own into a challenge.

Grinning with excitement, Mikey eases open the door to Leo's room and slowly pokes his head inside. His head is quickly followed by the rest of his body as he creeps quietly along the floor. He doesn't need to worry about stumbling over anything as he moves, after all, Leo never leaves a mess anyone can trip over.

Mikey crouches by the bed, trying desperately to stifle his laughter of delight. It's over a week since he last managed to get this close to Leo and today, he made it all the way to the side of Leo's bed. He wriggles slightly like a stalking cat ready to pounce on a nearby bird and springs up, arms flailing slightly for balance as he soars.

Just as Michelangelo is about to land smack in the middle of his brother's plastron, Leo shoots up, eyes wide in almost panic as rolls to the side. "_I'm up_!" Leo yelps before rolling too far and off the bed.

Mikey giggles happily. He didn't quite make it today but he almost did and Leo falling out of bed is still worth the effort of nearly making it.

Leonardo groans and pulls himself to his feet. He glares irritated at his impish brother, resisting the urge to stamp his foot in frustration; only little kids and Raph do that. "Stop trying to jump on me, Mikey! It's not funny!"

Still grinning, Michelangelo suddenly leans forward, his eyes filled with affection and humour and he wraps his small arms around Leonardo happily. "I love you, Leo!"

Leonardo's anger melts. It's impossible to stay mad at Mikey for long. Instead he's determined that tomorrow he _will_ wake up fast enough to avoid his brother's rude wake up call. Leo sighs in resignation. "I love you too, Mikey," he says and then smiles back fondly, gladly returning the morning hug.

\- . - . -

Michelangelo's next prey is usually Donatello. The littlest turtle finds his olive toned brother the easiest to 'attack' first thing in the mornings. He never even needs to put in any effort to sneak up on Donnie as he is always so completely out of it. Donatello is also often the hardest to actually wake up and keep awake.

Mikey smiles brightly as he swings the door wide open without a care and flicks on the light. He just barely is able to reach the switch when he stretches on his tippy toes. He chortles with amusement as he sees Donnie's belongings strewn across the floor in neat piles that are meant to deter and (hopefully) trip him up. Michelangelo knows when they all go to bed, there is never any sign of the orderly mess and that after going to bed, when he is supposed to be sleeping like the rest of his brothers, Donatello climbs back out to arrange it all. Even when Donnie moves the piles to different positions than he usually leaves them in, it doesn't even matter. After all, he never wakes up when the door opens and the light is turned on. Thanks to this, Mikey is able to easily sidestep any obstacles in this room without effort.

Half the time, Donatello also seems to try and stay awake all night, as if worrying about how the mischievous turtle will wake him come morning. As a consequence, Donatello usually falls into a deep, exhausted sleep, making things far too easy for Michelangelo.

Mikey gazes across the room for a moment to find the best path and then runs, as fast as his little legs allow, propelling himself at Donnie, giggling madly and yelling, "Booyakasha!"

"Ooph!" Donatello gasps in shock as a solid pile of seven year old turtle lands painfully on top of him.

"Time to get up! Breakfast is ready!" Michelangelo sings out cheerfully.

Donatello flops back onto his mattress, "Go 'way Mikey... 'm tired..." He weakly tries to push his clingy brother off the bed but is still too sleepy and now kind of sore to put much effort into his motion.

"Donnieeee~" Mikey laughs. "Get up! I'm hungry and no one can eat until everyone's up!"

The olive toned turtle groans drowsily, "Fine... now get off me, Mikey... I'm awake..."

Michelangelo scrambles off of his brother's plastron and grabs his hand, 'helping' Donatello to his feet and causing him to stumble, nearly knocking Mikey over.

Donnie tries to glare but a massive yawn makes the attempt ineffective and he sighs, instead pulling away from what he thinks is an 'accidental' hug. Donatello eyes Michelangelo warily, "Good luck with Raph... he's been getting grouchier every morning and yesterday he was saying how much he was going to thump you if you jumped on him again."

Mikey nods eagerly, "It's okay, Donnie. Raph's the most fun to wake!"

"Your funeral..." Donnie mutters, heading to the door and tripping sleepily on one of his own precisely placed obstacles. "See you at breakfast...

"If you survive..."

\- . - . -

Michelangelo stands outside of Raphael's door, eyeing it with a wicked gleam filling his eyes. He thinks about whether he wants to take his usual approach of just jumping on Raph or do something different today. The advantage of jumping on him is that it often leaves Raph breathless and unable to chase or hurt Mikey but Donnie's warning lingers in his mind, not that he is really all that worried. Waking his brothers is much too fun to worry about the consequences.

A sudden thought takes control and Michelangelo turns and runs, almost tripping over his own feet in his enthusiasm as he darts into his own bedroom. Less than a minute later, stifling more laughter, Mikey is back outside of Raphael's room and tentatively opening the door. He slinks ever so carefully and quietly over to where his grumpy brother slumbers, an unusually blissful expression present across his face as he sleeps.

With this brother, Mikey knows he needs to be cautious. It is always hard to know what he is likely to find each day; a remarkably easy to wake Raph, like Leo or one who, like Donnie, could easily sleep through an earthquake.

Grinning cheekily, Mikey's face slowly rises up beside Raphael's head, delighted that his brother has yet to notice his presence. Suppressing his snicker again, the bright spirited turtle carefully lifts the object in his hand up to Raph's ear slit and blows!

A cacophonous squawk squeals out of the plastic recorder, blaring directly into Raphael's hearing and he awakes with a wild start, bellowing up as storm as only a tantrum throwing seven year old knows how.

Mikey falls over shrieking with laughter, unable to keep on his feet even as Raph rips his own pillow out from underneath him and begins belting Michelangelo repeatedly with it. Raphael is breathing heavily by the time he finally exhausts himself.

Between his shouts of mercy, Mikey still can't help but laugh.

After all, mornings are the best!

\- . - . -

An alert Leonardo and a barely conscious Donatello exchange slightly worried looks but neither gets up from the breakfast table. Most mornings are pretty similar and they are used to this.

Splinter shakes his head with exasperated amusement as he hears Raphael and Michelangelo's antics from the kitchen.

Sometimes Splinter worries that letting his most exuberant son wake his brothers the way he does may actually be a mistake but another part of him believes it is good training for the other turtles in alertness, how to be aware of their environment and how to wake instantly, battle ready. One day, their lives may depend on these essential skills.

One look at how Leonardo is beginning to adapt makes him certain it is the right decision. When he looks at how Donatello always seems so tired in the mornings, as though he spent half the night awake worrying or at how Raphael is becoming more bad tempered by the day, makes him wonder if perhaps Michelangelo acting as the family alarm clock is instead detrimental to their growth as ninja and as a family.

Splinter also hopes that Michelangelo may learn something from the experience too, like how to dodge a sudden attack, not to mention practice in the art of stealth. So far however, his littlest never even tries to avoid the wrath of his brothers. Splinter takes note of the concern Leonardo and Donatello share as they gaze in the direction of the shouts and giggles and he relaxes, realising that Michelangelo obviously knows his brothers will never seriously hurt him.

Then Splinter smiles as he thinks of his own early morning wake up calls and he knows then that these mornings are just too precious and he wouldn't change a thing.

\- . - . -

Owari


End file.
